About Me

For the longest time I felt like the Queen of Failure.
I had started so many businesses and “side hustles” but they never gave me the satisfaction I was seeking. They never gave me the successes I envisioned. But I kept picking myself up and starting over. After graduating college everyone asked me what was next; graduate school? Career? I had no idea what my future looked like. Everywhere I turned to for guidance pointed me in the direction of a job, so a job was what I got. Then I hated it, then quit, then got another job, quit, so on and so forth. I kept this cycle on and on; never at a job for more than a year. I used to think something was wrong with me. How come everyone I knew was able to be happy at their jobs? Was it that I hadn't found my dream job, or was it something else?

Thankfully though I was also driven by my entrepreneurial and curious spirit, to keep searching for what I truly wanted. I've always had this inexplicable need to have my own business, and be my own boss. I figured, OK so if a job is not the answer, maybe my own business is. So on I went towards my dream of being self-employed. I did things like sold Avon, then started buying jewelry wholesale and selling it back at retail price, then went on to register my sole-proprietorship to sell pins to my sorority…and the list goes on and on. None of the things I tried gave me the financial rewards I was seeking, so I kept going back to jobs.

Writing was something I did to help me “tell” my diaries the things I couldn't say to my friends or family. Writing was a way for me to release the feelings I felt were trapped inside of me. Writing was a private, quiet power I had, and never did I dream it would be possible to build a business from my writing; not until I discovered blogging.

Through bloggers like Marie Denee and Christine Gilbert I learned it was possible to build a successful online business from doing something you love. It was 2011 when I started my first blog; and my mind was filled with dreams of earning a gazillion dollars from my writing. So I got to it. I started writing about free stuff. Free stuff? What is that about? Yes, exactly. What was that blog about after all? I had great intentions with it, and even provided great content. The problems were that I had no clear message and I also did not have a clue as to how to promote my content. It was clear that I didn't really know what I wanted to write about; I had no set goals, and my main focus was making money. I learned (much later) that when you pursue something just for money, you’ll quickly find yourself burnt out.

I went on to create 4 more blogs after that (between 2012-2013). I was in search of my niche. I was trying to find my way. Somehow I knew I wanted to help other entrepreneurs like me, who didn’t know what the hell they wanted to do with their lives, but clearly wanted nothing to do with a job. We want to be free. In the meantime I was also exploring other avenues with writing. I began writing fiction (nothing published yet), also published an e-book for entrepreneurs looking to create a home business with hardly any money to start. I freelanced; selling articles, writing for other people, but nothing substantial enough to support me financially.

By early 2012 I found myself in a very dark corner. I had dedicated about a year, job free, to pursue my dream.

I was a little kid chasing a balloon which had slipped from my grasp. 

 
The world then became an ugly place for me. I had failed at realizing my dream. Everyone else was right. Chasing dreams is for fools. You need a stable income. The recession…The economy…Blah, Blah, Blah. I failed. I lost. So I surrendered and submitted to the ways of the “real” world. I had to get a job. The problem was, no one wanted me.

I tried everything I could to get a job. I spoke to people, went to networking events, went to job fairs, changed my resume a million times, tried different jobs sites. I didn't get any calls, emails; nothing. As the only college graduate in my family at the time, everyone looked at me as if I must’ve been doing something wrong. Something must’ve been wrong with me to not be getting any interviews. Maybe I didn't dress professionally enough, maybe it was my curly hair, maybe I wasn't aggressive enough. I didn't know what it was at the time, but I was totally defeated. By the summer of 2012 I barely had enough money to cover a one-way fare on the train. I remember having to walk from 108th street and Amsterdam to 125th street and Lenox (Manhattan) for a job fair. In the scorching heat of the summer. In a black pant suit. With my curly hair pulled back in a neat bun. Needless to say, I was still without a job.

I hit rock bottom. I found comfort in my bed. My pillows and sheets were stained with my pain. My world became the jail cell of my room. I even started to feel like I was dying inside. It felt like I was. Something had to change; it was survival at that point. I knew in my heart I couldn't go through the winter like that. At least in the summer there was warmth and light. I knew I couldn't survive a cold and dark world which already felt like that.

The reminder of winter gave me a thought. What if I moved somewhere warm? What if I left and went to a new place, to start over? Just the thought alone gave me a new sense of hope. It was like an escape rope had appeared to me in my pit. So I climbed up.

I thought of moving to San Diego. I had been there 3 times before and loved it every single time. I was so excited by the idea, I didn’t even care that I didn’t have any means to move. It was bananas but exactly what I needed. Of course my parents hated the idea when I told them, plus they dismissed it being that how was I gonna move in the first place? The interesting thing was, my mind was set on moving. I was so consumed by the desire to move that nothing could destroy it. And you know what? To make it even more real I announced it to my family and friends. I told them in early August of 2012 that I would leave New York before the winter. Most were happy for me, but also scared. They wanted to know, how would I do it? I had no idea.

But I had another interesting thought. Maybe I could find a temp job that would help me save up for the move? So I changed my job search approach to temp and freelance work. Within a week I landed an interview, and by the end of the month I had landed a temp job which would last until the week of Thanksgiving. Everything was set.

I moved to San Diego on December 1st, 2012 with two suitcases and about $2,000.00 in the bank. That was my first leap of faith. Do you know what happened after I moved? My brother told me he felt the need to help me. He told me he knew I had to be in San Diego because I made it come true despite all the odds; I had manifested my desire. So he offered to pay my rent for the year! I didn’t even have to worry about money! My brother told me was investing in my future because he believed it would be successful. He is my biggest investor.

Needless to say, I experienced many ups and downs while in San Diego. I went through a total transformation, and as transformations go, it was quite a challenge. But through it all I found myself.

And in finding myself I found my purpose.

Through my search for purpose, especially as an entrepreneur, I discovered that the constant for me business wise was writing. Blogging was my thing. Through my past failures at supporting myself financially from blogging I had discovered the recipe for success. I discovered that my true calling was to teach and lead. 

I starting this blog back in 2013, to share my journey through a holistic approach to weight loss. I've been on a long, long, LONG journey when it comes to my body. I was always told I was fat; I don't ever remember a time where I felt slim/slender. Looking back at pictures I was perfect. But I let everyone else dictate what I should look like, what I should be doing with my body, etc...


I battled with low self-esteem and negative body image for a long time. It took many years for me to regain my power over my SELF and my body. I was 28 to be exact (I'm currently 32) when I decided to no longer give away the power of MY SELF. Along the way I've harnessed my powers of empathy and intuition, among others. I've also gained the ability to heal with my words. I recently chose to focus on sharing my holistic and spiritual journey with you all.  If words like UNIVERSE, ANGELS, MANIFEST, SPIRIT, SOURCE, CONSCIOUSNESS resonate with you somehow, then I hope you stick around!

I also blog on my more business-minded website: www.katherinehiraldo.com, perfect for all of you spiritual entrepreneurs. 

I can finally say I know who I am and what I want. I am finally at peace with my purpose.

To be continued…

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